The McMath Wildcats dodged a bullet Monday night and it will the McNair Marlins’ turn next.
That bullet is the MacNeill Ravens — a fiesty and hard-working team that is trying to nail down a spot into next month’s Lower Mainland “AAA” Boys Basketball Championships.
The Wildcats have been joined by Steveston-London, McNair and Richmond High in the provincial “AAA” rankings for much of the high school hoop campaign. They are considered the favourites to earn just the four Mainland berths available to Richmond teams this season but it would be ill-advised to look past the Ravens.
The decision to make league games determine Mainland seedings has certainly created a dynamic twist with only head-to-head games among the “AAA” tier teams counting.
It was a playoff atmosphere Monday night at MacNeill as the Wildcats (3-1) held off the Ravens (2-1) for a 71-63 victory to lock up their Mainland berth.
MacNeill can still advance with a win at home over the Marlins on Monday night (7 p.m.). They already toppled the Colts (3-2) 83-72 back on Dec. 5.
“MacNeill is a good solid team. They are gritty and work hard. That’s all you can really ask from the kids,” said a relieved McMath head coach Tony Wong-Hen who saw his team nearly squander a 17-point third quarter lead.
“Richmond is so tight which makes it so good this year. It’s not great as a coach because it makes you nervous all the time but it is so good for Richmond basketball.”
The Ravens do have talent to compliment their work ethic, led by the impressive Grade 12 guard duo of Josh Ignacio and Justin Dy-Pe, who combined for 38 points.
The hosts pulled within 58-55 with 7:49 remaining, before going nearly nearly five minutes without scoring — allowing McMath to regain some breathing room. The Wildcats needed all 15 points from 6-foot-7 Grade 9 call-up Victor Radocaj.
The Ravens were generating some good looks but the shots weren’t falling.
“We thought we had it a that point,” said head coach Landon Dy of the early fourth quarter surge. “We were just missing our shots.
“We don’t have the height but we never do. Without that you have to go fast and you got to shoot three balls. That’s the tempo we want to play. We just need to replicate what we did tonight and hit a few more shots. We told the guys tonight if they win they are in the Lower Mainlands. We still have another shot at it.”
Dy says he is pulling out all the stops for Monday’s game — calling-up Grade 8 standout Jackson Tackwray. He describes the DRIVE academy product as the most promising player in the school’s history.
Tackwray leads a Bantam team that is unbeaten (7-0) in city play. MacNeill also has winning records at the junior (5-1) and juvenile levels (4-2) as well.
